For fans of modern architecture, the UAE is an absolute feast.
Barely a month goes by without another new glistening skyscraper being added to the Abu Dhabi or Dubai skyline.
But some residents will recall a time when it was not like this, when the view of the sky was largely uninterrupted and the glowing light from the sunset beamed across the low-level city dwellings.
While Abu Dhabi's cityscape does not reach the heights of neighbouring Dubai, it has progressively grown taller during the past five decades.
The 10-floor Hilton Abu Dhabi stood out on the Corniche when it was opened by Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, on May 23, 1973. Now the Radisson Blu, it is dwarfed by new towers on both sides.
Another hotel took the city to new heights when the Novotel Centre Hotel opened in 1976.
It was the highest building for 14 years until the hulking Silver Tower opened on the Corniche in 1990.
The city centre continued to be the location for tall towers in the capital for the next 20 years.
Baynunah Tower housed a Hilton hotel and was distinctive for its blue-glass facade and white piping. It was essentially three towers in one.
It was the tallest in the region at the time of its completion in 1994.
In 2002 came the NBAD headquarters just off the Corniche on Khalifa Street, and then the 185-metre Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Tower in 2006.
"The building is alive and responsive to natural forces," said its architects, PLP Architecture.
"In the atrium, sails fold down to shade the sun. In the wings, an active facade of three layers and a solar-controlled blind shades work areas. The facade is used as an extract plenum, drawing cool air from the internal areas into its cavity and exhausting via the ceiling to the central core."
From 2010, much of the focus for tall buildings in the capital turned to Reem Island, where the Sun and Sky Towers development took the city's construction to new heights.
Sky Tower topped out at 292 metres and is still the tallest building on the island, although Addax Tower at 282m is close.
Its place at the top of the list of the capital's tallest towers was short-lived. The Landmark Tower opened on the Corniche in 2011 and then Burj Mohammed bin Rashid opened in 2014. It is the tallest in Abu Dhabi and fifth tallest in the UAE.
Tallest buildings in the Middle East
Tallest buildings in Abu Dhabi
1. Burj Mohammed bin Rashid, 382 metres
2. Adnoc HQ, 342 metres
3. The Landmark Tower, 324 metres
4. Etihad Tower 2, 305 metres
5. Sky Tower, 292 metres
6. Addax Tower, 282 metres
7. Trust Tower, 278 metres
8. Etihad Tower 1,278 metres
9. Nation Towers, 268 metres
10. Etihad Tower 3, 260 metres
11. Emirates Pearl, 255 metres
12. Gate Towers, 238 metres
13. Sun Tower, 238 metres
14. Etihad Tower 4, 234 metres
15. Nation Towers B, 233 metres
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
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If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
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